I've always imagined what it would be like when the first bell rung. I thought I would be a complete mess, girls running towards the woods all around me, my heart pumping so hard from nervousness and adrenaline that I would feel like I would having a heart attack. That everything around me would be a blur.

This was nothing like what I imagined.

BOOM! The first bell sounded like a cannon in my ears, and the automatic doors in every cage swung open. Before the door even made it aside all the way, I bolted at what felt like was the speed of sound. Hoots and cheering sounded from the males, but it wasn't out of encouragement. No, it was out of mockery and teasing. Instead of everything being frantic and blurry, it held a surprising clarity I've never experienced before. My heart beat at a strong, steady pace and I could make out every detail of the trees infront of me. I started counting down the seconds.

I ran towards the tree-line 30 feet infront of us, and vaguely noticed I was the first one out of all the girls to make it there.

Without slowing down or turning my head around, I called out to Haley using our mind link.

'Haley? Come ON Haley, we have to make it as far as we can! Catch up with me!', I shouted at her. I could hear noise all around me, like the pounding of hundreds of feet and the crushing of oak leaves and pine needles on the blanketed ground.

'I'm coming! I'm right behind you, but you're kinda fast, you know that?!', she shouted back at me sarcastically. Even at a time like this, she still manages to be a smartass..

After a few minutes of dodging trees to my left and thorn bushes to my right. I noticed a 3 feet tall, bright orange pole sticking out of the ground infront of me. I easily jumped over it, but not before reading what it had to say.

3 miles.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something bright white coming closer to me, jumping around heavy Oak trees just in the nick of time. Haley's wolf.

'We're at 3 miles!', Haley shouted in my mind happily. I didn't return the happy mood, for I wasn't happy with just being at 3 miles. Wait, how much more time do I have?! I forgot to keep tra-

A loud BOOM echoed across the forest floor, and my heart dropped. The males are out.

'Elenore, KEEP RUNNING!', Nikita howled at me. I did as she said, and pushed my legs harder. A large rock was infront of Haley and I, and we jumped over it, our hefty paws striking the ground on the other side.. 6 miles another pole said.

All of a sudden, howls of victory and shrieks and screams of pain pierced my eardrums. They all carried different messages, saying "I got one!", "Help me!", or "Fuck, that hurts! Get off of me!" The last one stuck in my mind, until I remembered that, for a male to Take you, they have to tackle you to the ground to get you to stop running.

I could feel hundreds of more feet assaulting the ground below, coming closer as the seconds passed.

A few more minutes past with us sprinting as fast as we could. 'Come on Haley, we have to go faster!', I howled to her through my mind. I looked over to my right and saw her coat becoming a dingy brown and foam dripping out of her jaws, her breathing quickly becoming labored. She had always been fast sprinter, but not when it comes to long distance. I, on the other hand, was excellent in running long distances at a fast pace, perfect for the Running.

Without noticing, I ran into a thorn bush, their sharpened points hooking onto my ears and flesh, ripping mercilessly. I felt blood drip down my coat and onto the rich soil below, staining the light brown needles.

9 miles

My ears picked up on something behind us. I soft, quick crunching of leaves followed by controlled breathing. Haley hadn't heard it yet, probably because of her heavy pants. It was almost as if they didn't want us to know it was there, taking time to stalk us first before-

'Haley, someone's behind us! Run fa-' I was cut off when the large unknown Wolf leapt out from behind us and into the air. He had white, gray, and black on his face and neck, darkening as his body went on.

'Haley, get out of the way!!', I screamed at her. She looked above her where the wolf was coming down, landing on her body with an oof.

Haley yelped out of pain and surprise. I was about to stop and help her, but she then screeched at me, saying, 'Ellie, GO! Make it to the border!!'. I hesitated, wanting to go, but also not wanting to leave my best friend. She was on her side with the male wolf standing above her, licking her face to get rid of the dirt.

'ELENORE GO!', she screamed at me for the last time. This time I listened, and bolted into the trees infront of me. I'm so sorry Haley..I'm so sorry.

12 miles

'Ellie, another wolf just passed me, and he's running fast! Push yourself, and don't let him get to you! For me, Ellie..', Haley frantically shrieked to me. I had no time to reply, for a thunderous roar shook the trees around me. What the hell was that?!

I felt myself starting to grow weak, my adrenaline and stamina quickly running out.

'Elenore, let me take over,' Nikita said to me. When your Wolf takes over, it can be for different reasons. One is that you're ready to complete the mating process with your mate. Another is that you're extremely angry, and you can't calm yourself down. The last possible reason is that you need an extra boost, or more energy and power. When this happens, your Wolf comes to the surface and takes over while you just sit back and watch, like autopilot.

I quickly agreed, and felt Nikita take over our Wolf body. The trees around us suddenly started to become a blur, and it felt like we were floating on air, we were going so fast.

The next pole said 13 miles

I felt violent and powerful paw strikes behind us. The trees and bushes around us began to shake from the heavy pounding of the Wolf. How far away is he?, I asked myself.

Even though Nikita had taken over our body, I still felt my thighs, calves, and forearms burning from exhaustion. My heart felt like it was about to burst it was pumping so hard. The Wolf following us had gotten closer, and I could now smell his earthy, musty scent and hear his strong, heavy breathing.

14 miles

We're almost there!

'Nikita, let me take over. I've rested a little, I'm ready.' She quickly switched our places, and I found my paws colliding with the earth once again.

I took a small glance back, and finally saw the Wolf for the first time. He was a monster, standing at least 5 feet tall, his muscles rolling and bulging under his shiny black coat as he ran. Fear made my throat choke up momentarily; he was only 15 feet behind me!

Willing myself to go faster, pushing my legs more than I ever have before, I saw the border up ahead. The border was made of metal poles welded together, forming a sort of tall doorway that you had to run through. A dozen or so She-wolves stood just past it, holding clothes and bandages with wide eyes. They must've heard that a She- wolf was almost to the Border.

I felt one of my front legs crack.

Excruciating pain shot through my whole upper body, blurring my eyes and making me let out an ear-splitting howl of agony. 'Ignore the pain, Ellie!! You can do this!', Nikita screamed at me, filing me with a new found strength.

Filling my veins unexpectedly, Adrenaline numbed my pain and shot me forward.

With the male wolf only feet behind me and the border 10 feet away, I jumped, extending my front legs and paws to the soil beyond the poles..

Everything around me went eerily quiet, as if you could hear a pin drop. Everything was..peaceful. Then my ears started to ring, and I was brought back to reality.

My body landed in the dirt with a thud, girls rushing towards me, blankets and clothes in hand, with a concerned look on their faces.

'Did I make it?', I gently whispered to no one in particular. I noticed I was in my human form and laying on my side, shaking with exhaustion, naked, and with sweat rolling down my body, soaking into the ground below me.

I was answered with a low growl.

'Mate'